Means for folding the ends of collapsible tubes



1945. M. HALLEAD ETAL MEANS FOR FOLDING THE ENDS OF COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Original Filed Nov. 1, 1937 Patented Nov. 20, 1945 MEANS FOR FOLDING THE ENDS OF COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Mervil Hallead, Detroit, Mich.,

and Paul R.

Fechheimer, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignors to The Karl Kicfer Machine Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application November 11, 1937, Serial No. 174,079. Divided and this application January 13, 1943, Serial No. 472,228

6 Claims. (c1.1 1s54) I Our invention relates to the filling and sealing of the collapsible tubes of commerce, particularly where the tubes are sealed by interfusion of the tube walls. This is a division of our copending application Serial No. 174,079, filed November 11, 1937, which issued into Patent No. 2,336,355 on December 7, 1943.

The objects of the present invention comprise the provision of a novel folding device, and also comprise specific inventions and improvements in such devices, as well as a new organization and assembly of parts.

This object, and more specific ones which will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading this specification, we accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts of which we shall now describe an exemplary embodiment. Reference is made to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view with parts in section of a tube-end folding device.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken along the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective View of a rotary tubeend folding element.

Figure 4 is an end view of an operating cam arrangement.

Figure 5 shows in consecutive stages the operation of folding the tube end.

The general as well as the specific organization of an exemplary filling and sealingmachine to which the present invention may be applied will be found in our said copending application. The utility of the filling means herein described and. claimed is not, however, confined to such a machine, but maybe separately employed or employed with other means for filling and closing collapsible tubes or without sealing, as by weldmg.

Our folding mechanism is illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, inclusive. It will be understood that our folding means will form part of a machine comprising a suitable base or bed on which a power or drive shaft 45 is mounted in suitable bearings or supports. The machine itself is not shown in the illustrations since its form may be widely varied and since it may contain elements for operating upon collapsible tubes other than the elements herein specifically described and claimed. There will also normally be provided in connection with the machine means for bringing to the apparatus hereinafter described collapsible tubes, in filled condition and bottom end up. Such means may be like those described in our patent to which reference has been made.

After the filling of the collapsible tubes, their ends will be flattened or fish-tailed as will be understood. This is usually accomplished by means of Spreaders entering the ends of the tubes and partially fish-tailing them whereupon the walls are completely juxtaposed by clamping means engaging the tube and from either side. Means for fish-tailing the ends of collapsible tubes have not herein been shown and do not form a limitation on the structure which we claim in this case. The tubes, after fish-tailing, may be sheared and sealed as by welding, as also taught in the patent mentioned. Apparatus for these operations is also not herein shown, but it may be apparatus driven from the power shaft 45.

Our mechanism comprises a head 282, which raises and lowers. A pair of frames 283 and 284 are pivoted to the head and are also pivoted to supports 285 and 286. This arrangement permits raising and lowering of the head while maintaining it in a horizontal plane. A lever 281 pivoted as at 288 carries a cam follower 289 which bears against a cam 299 on the shaft 45. The other end of the lever arm is forked as at 29! and embraces an abutment 292 n the frame 284. Adjustment means 293 may be provided, if desired. The cam 299 thus operates to raise and lower the head 282.

A forward clamping jaw 294 is fixed to the head. A pair of rods 295 are slidably mounted in the head, and at the rear are connected by a bridge 296, having a bearing portion 291. A carriage 298 is slidably mounted upon the rods 295 and bears a rearward clamping jaw 299. A compression spring 389 on a suitable stud engages between the head and the bridge 296. Compression springs 3M also engage between the head and the carriage 298. Collars 302, fixed on the rods 295, permit the rods to pull the carriage back.

A lever 393, pivoted as at 288, engages the surface 291 by means of a roller 384. The lever arm also carries a cam follower 3B5, bearing against a cam 396 on the shaft 55. The cam 306 thus controls the movements of the rods 295 and actuates the clamping means. The clamping pressure is, of course, determined by the springs 38l ther rotation of the member 3l9.

It also carries a cam follower 3! which bears against a cam 3l5.

A transverse shaft BIG is mounted in the head on bearings 3| 1 and 3| 8. This shaft in its middle portion isisegmental incross section as shown at 3I9. At its ends it is provided with pinion teeth as at 320, The rods 30! are provided with rack teeth 321 which mesh with the pinion teeth.

Thus the effect of the longitudinal movement of.

the rods 301, is to rotate the shaft 3IB. The extreme range of the movement of the shaft is an arc of 180 degrees.

The cams 290, 306 and 3l5-are so shaped as to provide the sequence of operations illustrated in Figure 5. As shown at A, when the tube 28 has moved into position, the head is raisedand the clamping jaws 294 and 299 lieabove it. Thenex-t step shown at B is lowering of the head so that the tube end enters between the jaws and projects above the jaws by the width of a fold. At C the movable jaw 299 has'been moved into position. At D the segmental member 319 has been rotated approximately a quarter of a turn initiat ing:a-:fold=. At E, the movable jaw 299 is withdrawn; At F,- thefold iscompleted by further rotation-of the-member 3). At G, the member 31-9 is returnedto its original position. At H, the: head is further lowered so as to cause the foldedportions .of the tube end to project above the jawsi At I, the clamping members are reengaged. At J, another fold has been initiated, the-member 3l9- having made another quarter turn, At K,.themovable jaw 299 is again withdrawn. At L, the second fold is completed by fur- The final movement'is-shown at M, the member 3|9 having returned to its original position, and the head being-raised. torelease the tube. The appearance of the: folded end ofthe sealed tube is shown at 322m stageN of Figure 5.

We may preferto include an additional operation between those illustrated at L and M. This would consistiin again operating the clamp member: 299-to drive the fold 322 securely home, having of course first rotated the segment M9 to an unobstructing position.

Havingthus described our invention, what We claim as new andrdesire to secure'by Letters Patent is:

1.- In'a machine for folding the ends of collapsible tubes; a'base, a shaft journaled on said base, ahead mounted on said base, a fixed jaw insaidihead, a. cooperating movable jaw mounted in said head-for reciprocation, a segment-shaped folding member rotatably mounted in said head and so .p'l'acedthat'in one position, one of its faces will substantially coincide with a face of said fixedijaw, means in said head for moving said movable jaw, a cam on said shaft for actuating saidimoving means, means in said head for rotatingsaid' folding member, and a second cam on said shaft for moving said rotating means, the said ca'ms being-so shaped and timed as to move said'mov'able jaw toward said fixed jaw to clamp the endof "a-t'ube therein, thereupon to rotate said folding member approximately 90, thereupon to'move said movable part away from said fixed'jaw, and thereupon to rotate said folding member through approximately a second 90.

2. The structure claimed in claim 1 wherein said-head is mounted with respect to said base for'reciprocatory movement, and wherein said shaft bears a third cam for producing reciprocatory; movement of said head.

3. The structure claimed in claim 1 wherein said head is mounted with respect to said base for reciprocatory movement, and wherein said shaft bears a third cam for producing reciprocatory movement of said head, thesaidlast mentioned cambeing shaped to provide three positions for said head and said first and second mentioned cams being so shaped as to provide for a. repetition of the recited cycle of jaw and folding member movements within one revolution of said shaft.

4. In a machine for folding the ends of collapsible tubes, a base, a shaft journaled with respect to said base, supports on said base, a head mounted with respect to said supports by means of a pair'of frames whereby said head is reciprocable with respect to said base in a substantially' rectilinear path, a cam on said shaft and cam follower means in connection therewith to impart movement to one of said frames whereby to move said-head, a fixed jaw in said head, a movable, slidably mounted jaw in said head, means sli-dable in said head for moving said movable jaw, asecond cam on said shaft, cam follower means in connection therewith having contact with said moving means for said movable jaw irrespective of the position of said head, a shaft having an intermediate segment-shaped folding portion journaled in said head in such position: that the apex of said segment-shaped foldingj portionfollows an edge of said fixed jaw, pinion means on said shaft, a rackengaging saidpinion means and slidably mounted in said head, a third cam on saidshaftand cam follower'means in connection therewith and adapted to bear against said rack irrespective of the position of said head:

5. In a machine for folding the ends of "col-- lapsible tubes, a vertically reciprocable head, a

40 fixed jaw mounted in saidhead, a movable jaw mounted in said headfor movement toward and away from said: fixed jaw whereby to exert a clamping and releasing action on the ends of collapsible tubes, and. a rotatable segment shaped member for folding the ends of said collapsible tubes, means for operating said head so as to reciprocate it, means for operating saidmovable jawso as to cause. itto exert said clamping and releasing actions, means-for operating said segment shaped member'to rotate it in oppositedirections about an axis line located adjacent an edge of said'fixed' jaw, and control'means for enforcing a series of operations of said operating'means whereby to bring said head down over the end of a collapsible tub'e so that an end por-- tion thereof projects above said jaws, next to causesaid jaws to clamp said tube, next to rotate' said segment shaped member through approximately to form approximately a 90 fold in the end of said tube, next to move said movable jaw to releasing position, and next to rotate said segment shaped member further in the same direction approximately 90 so as to completethe fold, and-ultimately to return said several elements to' initial position.

6. The structure claimed in claim 5' in which said'control means includes means for further lowering said head and repeating saidoperations MERVIL HALLEAD. 7 PAUL R FECHHEIMER.. 

